


proceeding on distemper

by bearfeathers



Series: it is not in the stars to hold our destiny [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Armitage Hux Has Issues, Armitage Hux is Not Nice, Brendol Hux's A+ Parenting, Complicated Relationships, Conflicted Kylo Ren, Force-Sensitive Armitage Hux, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Injury, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, M/M, Post-TLJ, Pre-Slash, Snoke Being a Dick, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, That's Not How The Force Works, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24017146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearfeathers/pseuds/bearfeathers
Summary: Unable to locate Hux following the events on Crait, Kylo's search leads him to the medbay where he finds more than he bargained for.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: it is not in the stars to hold our destiny [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1732366
Comments: 4
Kudos: 81





	proceeding on distemper

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, shit, here we go again lmao  
> Ysalasol and MS-5B9K are my own imaginings. Ysalasol is a serum developed from the blood of the [ysalamiri](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ysalamir), a lizard-like creature with the ability to repel the Force. I thought it would be interesting to have this flawed, but useful tool in the First Order's (and specifically Brendol Hux's) toolbox. Take that as you will.
> 
> This exists in the same universe as [The Revenant](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22370311).

“ _Where_ is General Hux?”

The worthless peon Kylo had rounded on quakes in fear before him, struggling to produce an answer. After returning from Crait without the victory he desired, the newly ascended Supreme Leader has even less patience than usual. Just as he’s considering tossing the officer out of his way and finding someone who will get him an answer with more expediency, the man finds his tongue.

“General Hux is in the medbay, sir—Supreme Leader,” the man says in a rush.

The medbay? Why the hell is he there? He wasn’t injured during the battle on Crait.

“Why?” Kylo demands.

The man looks perplexed, as though he can’t fathom how Kylo doesn’t know. But perhaps not wanting to draw his leader’s ire any further, he quickly schools his features and offers an answer.

“General Hux collapsed shortly after we boarded the _Steadfast_ , sir,” he says. “He was promptly escorted to the medbay. I’m afraid that is the extent of my knowledge.”

“Why was I not informed?” Kylo asks.

The man gapes like a fish. “I… I don’t know, sir—”

The sound of the nameless officer’s yelp barely reaches Kylo’s ears as he reaches through the Force to hurl him out of the way and strides past him at a furious pace. He can feel the heat radiating throughout his body, the pressure building in his temples like a tea kettle moments away from boiling over. He is the _Supreme Leader_. If one of his generals has gone AWOL in the face of such a spectacular failure, he should be the first to know of it.

Instead, he’s left to storm into the medbay himself to get his answers. No one seems to have a clue as to the exact nature of Hux's condition. Kylo would ask Phasma—who typically seemed always to be somewhere near the general—but in the course of his search, he’d been informed of her demise. At the hands of FN-2187, no less.

Humans and droids alike scatter before him as he stalks through the medbay, spying the private room at the very back where he now knows Hux to be located. The general's presence in the Force has always been curiously weak, even when he was in perfect health. Snoke had once described him as _damaged_ —a notch above being Force-null but rendered effectively so all the same. Still, he hadn’t elaborated, and Kylo hadn’t asked. He knew better than to ask.

All of this meant that unless Hux was in relatively close proximity, Kylo had difficulty placing him. It had been useful in his training as he honed his skills, sharpening his senses so that he could detect the general’s presence at greater and greater distances. Right now, it’s just a nuisance. He hadn’t been able to sense Hux at all until he’d set foot in the medbay, and that leaves him wondering exactly what condition he could possibly be in.

The meddroid attending to Hux doesn’t startle when Kylo comes hurtling into the room like a whirlwind, hell-bent on getting answers. Instead, it remains steadfast in its duties, barely acknowledging his presence. Kylo takes in the sight of Hux himself. The general clearly isn’t conscious and, judging by the bruising and the pallor of his already pale skin, won’t be for some time. Impatiently, Kylo attempts to access the information he wants via the datapad beside the bed. To his irritation, Hux’s file is curiously covered in more red tape than he’s ever seen.

“Why am I unable to access General Hux's medical file?” Kylo asks the meddroid.

“Access to General Hux’s medical records requires direct authorization from Supreme Leader Snoke,” the meddroid answers in a flat, tinny voice.

Kylo silently congratulates himself for not snapping the datapad in half. “Supreme Leader Snoke is dead. _I am the new Supreme Leader_.”

There is a pause before the meddroid dutifully says, “Please standby for verification.”

He hears the soft whirs and beeps coming from the droid as it sends and receives communications in an attempt to verify his claim. Less than thirty seconds later, the datapad in his hands chimes, and the droid resumes its activities.

“Verification complete. Congratulations on your promotion, Supreme Leader Ren.”

“Tell me why the general was brought here,” Kylo says distractedly, skimming through the newly accessible file.

“General Hux was admitted with four broken ribs and hairline fractures to his left radius and ulna due to apparent blunt force trauma,” the meddroid reports efficiently. “With the added complication of a punctured left lung, lack of oxygen resulted in a temporary loss of consciousness.”

Blunt force trauma? They hadn’t even encountered any actual fighting. By the time their troops were on the ground in Crait, the Resistance had fled. There wasn’t any opportunity for him to have been injured.

…although now that he’s considering it, perhaps throwing him into a wall would count as 'blunt force trauma.’

“And his prognosis?” Kylo presses.

“Currently stable. A full recovery will require an extended leave of absence,” the meddroid informs him.

“I think even General Hux is capable of recovering from a few broken ribs in short order,” Kylo says flatly.

“Yes, sir. However, a medical leave of absence was recommended during the general’s previous two routine exams, and was not taken,” the meddroid says.

Kylo snorts. It’s not exactly out of character for Hux. Although he reports to his routine physicals as punctually as he does anything else, his work always comes first. Whatever Kylo hasn’t seen himself, he’s gathered from the thoughts of the crew. Hux is a workaholic, and it’s a secret to no one except perhaps Hux himself.

“Our request for medical leave on behalf of General Hux was denied by Supreme Leader Snoke,” the meddroid reports without an ounce of emotion. The droid doesn’t have a stake in whether the general lives or dies beyond adhering to its protocols and ensuring its continued existence. “Will you wish to do the same, sir?”

Rather than answer, Kylo opts to pull up the two files in question. Perhaps there had been a good reason for Snoke to have denied the man medical leave. But the more Kylo reads, the less he believes it was for a good reason, and the more he suspects it was for something decidedly more insidious.

It seems that the general had taken the destruction of Starkiller Base even harder than Kylo had thought. The medical reports in front of him tell the story of a man on the verge of a breakdown, operating on four hours per sleep cycle or less. Abuse of caf and stims. Poor diet and skipped meals. He’d lost nearly twenty pounds—weight which Kylo hardly thought he could afford to lose. Though he frequently sought to conceal it through the use of his greatcoat, Hux was not a large man. Tall, yes. Nearly as tall as Kylo himself. But not large by any means. Kylo can’t even begin to imagine what would drive him to cross the line of being unfit for duty. Unless…

The hyperspace tracker.

Of course.

Feeling the error of Starkiller bearing down on him, no doubt Hux had worked feverishly to create the first hyperspace tracker in existence. There were many times when it managed to slip Kylo’s mind that in addition to achieving the rank of general at an exceptionally young age, Hux was considered a genius in the engineering field. And there were times when he liked to just plain ignore that fact. He wouldn’t have Hux under the assumption that he thought highly of him in any way. Even still, this was an achievement that was difficult to overlook and one which had undoubtedly kept him in Snoke’s relatively good graces.

That or Snoke had been willing to make sacrifices where he needed to get what he wanted. Perhaps he simply hadn’t counted on Hux being quite so resilient. Or maybe he had. It’s impossible for Kylo to say, and frankly, he’s not going to dwell on the thoughts and plans of a dead man. He drags up another file, finding his curiosity getting the better of him; though he’s been in the general’s head on numerous occasions, it’s rare to get an opportunity like this to peer into his private life in such a way. Kylo had never concerned himself with delving too deeply into Hux’s private thoughts, finding that doing so often left him feeling dizzy and nauseated after attempting to sift through the man’s constant whirlwind of conscious and unconscious thought. It was more effort than it was worth. Here, though, he can browse at his leisure with Hux none the wiser. Reading through what should be an ordinary case file, he frowns at what he finds.

Routine supplements were administered to those serving onboard starships for extended periods in order to make up for lack of proper exposure to sunlight and the other benefits of prolonged existence on a planetary surface. This is something Kylo knows well, as he’s begrudgingly reported for his own whenever his time came. But he’s confident that what he’s looking at now is… excessive.

“Does the general receive an altered panel of supplementary injections?” Kylo asks the meddroid.

There’s a soft beep of confirmation. “Yes, sir. General Hux’s early medical records indicate chronic pneumonia from a young age as well as a failure to thrive. The additional supplements were added as a precautionary measure, with the exception of MS-5B9K.”

Kylo narrows his eyes suspiciously. “And what is MS-5B9K?”

“MS-5B9K is a modified strain of Ysalasol, a serum originally developed by Commandant Brendol Hux as a chemical Force suppressant,” the meddroid reports smartly. “Initial trials were conducted on Force-sensitive subjects obtained through Project Harvester. Unfortunately, the serum proved to have little effect on those with a connection to the Force above a certain threshold. However, Commandant Hux did find a use when the administration of the serum began within the subject’s first standard year of life. In this case, it could effectively suppress the Force within such individuals and became a valuable tool in the stormtrooper program.”

“And presumably the general began receiving these injections within his first year of life?” Kylo queries, not wishing to scan through the man's entire medical history for his answer.

“Negative. Administration of the serum began in the general’s fifth standard year of life,” the meddroid answers.

“You’ve just explained the serum's ineffectiveness at that stage. So, why am I still seeing it here in General Hux’s file?” Kylo asks, feeling that he somehow already knows the answer.

“MS-5B9K was first administered to General Hux at the behest of his father, Commandant Hux, for reasons not listed in his medical or personnel file,” the meddroid replies. “When Supreme Leader Snoke came to power, all aspects of General Hux’s medical file were restricted, with only the Supreme Leader himself having unfettered access.”

“And is General Hux _aware_ of the fact that he is receiving MS-5B9K?”

“Negative, sir. A strict protocol was set in place to limit which physicians and meddroids were permitted to treat the general to ensure he would not discover the nature of MS-5B9K or question its presence in his supplements.”

Filled with a sick sense of curiosity, Kylo scrolls back through Hux’s files until he’s looking at reports from approximately six years prior. He remembers very vividly the day he fled the Jedi temple and joined Snoke as his apprentice. He remembers because Snoke had told him to reach a certain planet and stay put while he sent one of his generals to collect him. Having heard stories of the Empire from his parents and uncle, Kylo had been expecting some crusty old imperial holdout and was instead surprised by the youth of the man, who had appeared to be not much older than himself.

To the young man who was no longer Ben Solo but not yet Kylo Ren, Hux had seemed powerful and charismatic. He knew what he wanted—which was more than Kylo had at the time. Undoubtedly, he’d been instructed by Snoke to be inviting, to treat him with respect as his new pupil. But Hux been handsome and charming and sure in a way that had made Kylo feel powerful by mere proximity. It had made him feel sure of his decision, that he was on the right path. The path to power. That was back when he had thought there could be something between them. That they could be powerful working alongside one another, that they could accomplish anything if they worked together. He had _sensed_ it from Hux.

Kylo checks the dates. Just a week prior to that point in time, Hux’s dosage of MS-5B9K had been lowered for the first time since its initial administration, according to the physician’s notes. Not drastically lowered, no. Just enough, it seems. Snoke had promised Kylo a Force-sensitive mind to practice on, and he had delivered. It appears that it just wasn’t in the way Kylo had thought.

It should fill him with glee to discover something like this. To have something so horrifically mortifying to hang over the general’s head. Hux, who so detests the Force and all that comes with it, is Force-sensitive and isn’t even aware of that fact. Instead, Kylo merely feels disgusted at seeing the Force reduced to a symptom, suppressed like a disease by his own former master. Hux was _damaged_ , though. Snoke had made that very clear. But was there truly any damage, or was that merely a ruse to keep Kylo from investigating the matter any further?

He doesn’t realize his grip on the datapad has tightened until the screen before him begins to splinter from the pressure. There’s a choice before him now. One which could greatly alter not only Hux’s future but that of the First Order as well as his own. Indecision tugs at his mind from both sides as he weighs the pros and cons, the potential winnings and failings of what has just landed in his lap.

The bond.

It’s not something he tries to think of if he can help it, but being that it is ever-present, it is challenging to forget entirely. That thin thread through the Force which binds him to Hux, which he has tried to sever, again and again, only to find it to be as tenacious as the general himself. If Hux has any Force sensitivity which is being dampened by this drug, it will alter that bond. How he can’t say. But if the drug is removed from the equation, it will undoubtedly change.

Will that bond strengthen, he wonders? Is that possible at this stage, when they have come to loathe one another so? He wonders, too, if this drug works only one way. Perhaps it is able to suppress not only whatever ability Hux possesses but to shield him from other Force users. When he considers this fact, it seems plausible; his ventures into the general’s mind have only ever taken him so far. He had always assumed that was some working on Snoke’s part, but perhaps not. Perhaps this drug has been the key all along. Will removing it open Hux’s mind to him further?

As Kylo continues to deliberate over his choice, he becomes aware of a tug through the Force. A nudge. Yes. This is the correct path. He can feel that the end result of his choice here will lead him to where he is meant to be. He feels a rightness in it, washing over his mind in a way that makes him wonder how he had ever been unsure. He does not see what lies at the end of this road; he knows only that his choice is right. For now, that is all he needs.

“I’m granting a medical leave of absence,” Kylo says to the droid, powering the datapad down and placing it on the nearby table. “And beginning today, you will remove MS-5B9K from General Hux’s regimen.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” the meddroid answers. “Will there be anything else, sir?”

Kylo pauses, his dark eyes traveling to the figure lying prone before him. He looks like a shell, a frail husk of the man Kylo had met that day six years ago. He had been so captivating then. And what is he now? Pale, thin, _damaged_. But that may yet change. The general has managed to surprise him before; he may yet do so again. With Snoke gone and Kylo now free to make his own choices, there is the possibility of change. Perhaps that combined strength he had sensed all those years ago…

Well. Better not to get ahead of himself. He has other things to worry about just now.

He looks back at the meddroid. “General Hux is not to be made aware of these changes. And _do not_ tell him I was here.”

“Yes, sir,” the meddroid says to his retreating back. “Long live the Supreme Leader.”

He hears the echo of Hux’s words in the throne room.

He wishes he hadn’t.


End file.
